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the flow

NEPAL CASE STUDY: TARA KHOLA MINI HYDRO PROJECT

2/19/2023

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Social Enterprise for Optimal Outcomes

Drawing on 40+ years of experiential hindsight from practitioners in the Asia Pacific, HPNET has identified a linkage between enterprise-based approaches and hydro mini-grid sustainability.  Social Enterprise for Energy, Ecological and Economic Development (SEEED) is HPNET’s approach for community-scale hydro implementation that integrates key factors for optimizing sustainability and community empowerment beyond electricity – centering local social enterprise in the pathway to mini-grid sustainability.  

Supported by Renewable Energy for Rural Livelihood (RERL) in Nepal, the Tara Khola Mini Hydro Project provides an example of an enterprise-based approach that has enabled a financially viable energy system, unlocking benefits for local livelihoods, economic development, grid interconnection, and more. 


Renewable Energy for Rural Livelihood (RERL)

RERL is a joint project of Government of Nepal (GoN) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The project has been operational since 2011 after the closure of Rural Energy Development Programme (REDP) with the main objective of supporting AEPC to scaleup RE project implementation. Since 2019, RERL has also been providing TA support to AEPC to implement South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB) to install 4.3MW mini hydropower projects and 0.5MW solar/solar wind hybrid mini grids in off-grid areas of Nepal. Since March 2022, RERL is also implementing Japan-UNDP Support for Transition Effort to Decarbonization (JUSTED).  

The following case study on the Tara Khola Mini Hydro project is posted with permission from RERL's Quarterly Update July - Sept. 2022.​


A Case Study of Tara Khola Jalbidyut Company Ltd., Baglung
The 380kW Tara Khola Mini Hydropower Project (TKMHP) was completed in October 2019
and provides quality electricity services to 1800 households (HHs) and over 50 productive
energy uses (PEU) . The project was developed with subsidy from Alternative Energy
Promotion Center (AEPC) and community equity and loan and technical support of
Renewable Energy for Rural Livelihood (RERL). The project was initially promoted by a Users’
Group with 9 executive members who were responsible for equity collection, coordination
with the contractor and concerned stakeholders for construction of the project. However, in spite
of endless efforts of the executive members, they were not able to collect the required equity
amount and take out a loan to achieve financial closure. The beneficiaries then decided to develop the project through a public limited company with all of them as shareholders and registered Tara Khola Jalbidyut Company Limited for construction and operation and management. The company has authorized capital of NPR 100 Million and paid up capital of NPR 3 Million.

​After the company took over the operations, the local people’s perception towards their project completely changed as the roles and responsibilities of the Board of Directors, staff and shareholders were clearly defined, all financial transactions were well recorded and could be observed by the ordinary shareholders. As a result, the company was able to collect equity of NPR 6 million from 1700 shareholders and a loan of NPR 14,853,822 from CYC and Jana Ekata Multipurpose Cooperative Limited, Baglung.
As of 2021, the plant is providing regular electricity to 1700 households, 45 slate industries, 4 carpentry businesses and 12 sawmills. These productive uses have generated employment opportunities for over 300 women and men locally. Moreover, the slate industries are vital actors in the slate value chain in the market. Furthermore, the plant is providing electricity to a number of productive energy uses such as poultry farming, a beauty parlor, fresh house/butcher shop, eateries, etc.
Tara Khola MHP Monthly Tariff Rates
  • Slate industries: NPR 1500 and NPR 50 per kWh
  • Other end uses: NPR 500 and NPR 12 per kWh
  • Residential: NPR 100 and NPR 12 per kWh
Tarakhola Jalbidyut Company Limited signed a Net Metering Agreement with Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) in 2021 and has been continuously selling electricity to the national grid. The total income of the company in the same year was NPR 15,000,000 from both local consumption and sales to NEA, whereas its expenses during the same period was NPR 6,594,040 and made a net profit of NPR 8,405,960. 

In order to operate and manage the project, the company has hired 3 operators, a linesman and a manager who were all trained by AEPC/RERL to enhance their skills for proper handling of the machinery and management of the project. Furthermore, AEPC/RERL also provided orientation to Directors on management of a public limited company, particularly legal aspects.
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CAMBODIA DIALOGUE: TOWARD A JUST ENERGY TRANSITION IN ASEAN

2/9/2023

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From October 3-4, 2022 in Siem Reap, Cambodia, a regional multi-stakeholder dialogue “Toward Just Energy Transition in ASEAN”, was organized by Oxfam Cambodia, Australian Aid, Heinrich Böll Stiftung Southeast Asia and Energy Lab Cambodia.  The event aimed to facilitate dialogue on ensuring justice and equity for vulnerable communities within the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy in the region.  The dialogue furthermore sought to solicit input for and finalize a policy brief to promote equity and justice within ASEAN energy policy development, ahead of the 2022 ASEAN Summit.  

Mr. Tarek Ketelsen, Director General of the Australia Mekong Partnership for Environmental Resources and Energy Systems (AMPERES) and a member of HPNET, supported the design of the event.  The HPNET Secretariat was invited to take part and facilitated the participation of HPNET members Ms. Nalori Chakma, Advocacy Officer at the Right Energy Partnership (REP) and Ms. Jade Angngalao, Area Coordinator at the Department of Social Welfare and Development through PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn (PAMANA), who has supported micro hydro efforts in her community and other Kalinga communities in the Philippines.

During the two-day dialogue, speakers shared various perspectives and insights regarding the regional context of the energy transition, its challenges, and potential opportunities, with an emphasis on social justice and inclusion.   
Policy Objectives

Civil society and academic stakeholders from across the ASEAN region provided inputs during the workshop which contributed to the development of a policy brief intended to inform policy development relating to ASEAN’s commitment to net zero emissions. Chiefly, the policy brief presents a path forward to ensure the achievement of a socially equitable energy transition in the ASEAN region. The policy brief was subsequently presented by an Oxfam member during the ASEAN Summit which took place in Phnom Penh in November, and will be disseminated at other ASEAN gatherings and events where different government leaders and stakeholders are present.

A Spotlight on Social Equity for a Just Transition

In an insightful op-ed published by Oxfam Cambodia following the regional dialogue, the author emphasizes that, “with its principle of cooperation and mutual benefit, ASEAN could become a global leader by promoting a just energy transition that does not compound existing inequalities and leaves no one behind”.
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This risk of compounding existing inequalities was addressed by several participants at the regional dialogue, including Ms. Chakma of REP, who flagged a threat around land grabbing that has been linked to mining for lithium-ion batteries for solar PV electricity in parts of India and the United States.  As governments ramp up production of lithium to meet clean energy goals, REP emphasizes the need to uphold the rights of Indigenous Peoples, as well as elevate alternative clean energy technologies like small-scale hydropower, which has been increasingly sidelined as solar PV has taken centre stage.   

In addition, a key element of the dialogue was the potential – and ethical imperative – to dovetail the rollout of clean energy infrastructure with rural electrification through an approach that empowers marginalized communities.  Ms. Angangalo highlighted that Indigenous and local communities have long been leaders in this field, leveraging renewable energy within community-based efforts to facilitate energy access.  It is critical that ‘last mile’ communities are centered in the ASEAN clean energy transition, and SDG 7 is prioritized within pathways to ‘net zero’.

The dialogue thus underscored the opportunity to elevate decentralized renewable energy (DRE) as a key component of a just transition.  Participants brought forth a number of policy solutions to advance this aim.  For instance, Ms. Chakma of REP suggested subsidies and soft loans to communities, and support directed to productive-end-use to help sustain DRE systems.  She and others, including Mr. Ketelsen of AMPERES, also noted that as countries develop policies to support grid interconnection of DRE, a key part of a just transition is ensuring that communities in ASEAN have the opportunity to generate income from selling electricity to the grid. (To learn more on this topic, see HPNET’s Grid Interconnection Work Stream).  
Community Hydropower as a Uniquely Appropriate Technology
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Community-scale hydropower became a focal point of several discussions, largely thanks to presentations and inputs by the HPNET members.  During the Roundtable discussions, participants discussed several ways in which community hydro is uniquely well positioned for advancing a just, clean energy transition in the region.  

  • Ms. Angngalao delivered a presentation on community-based renewable energy systems andIndigenous Peoples in the Philippines and introduced HPNET’s knowledge exchange and advocacy initiatives.  The presentation highlighted how community hydro is collectively built and operated, and generates a wide range of socio-economic and ecological benefits.  For instance, micro hydro can support motorized loads for agro-processing and incentivizes  sustainable watershed stewardship aligned with Indigenous governance traditions. 
  • Given said connections with environmental conservation, Ms. Chakma or REP also noted the opportunity for micro hydro communities to leverage conservation finance and carbon credits for forest management.
  • Ms. Chakma also highlighted that community-scale hydropower sidesteps the human rights and land grabbing issues arising in connection with lithium-ion batteries used for solar PV systems. (Notably, a clear distinction was drawn between small-scale (< 1MW) versus large scale hydropower dams, the latter of which have long been associated with land grabbing and ecological harm, though sometimes promoted as “clean energy”.) 
  • Mr. Ketelsen of AMPERES imparted some of the best practices and opportunities observed in Myanmar, a country with a long-established, locally-rooted DRE sector where over 6,000 small-scale hydropower systems have been installed by local developers, largely without donor support or foreign technology.  Mr. Ketelsen observed that that micro hydro is a particularly well-suited technology for enabling more inclusive, community-owned and -distributed systems, due to unique governance and scale aspects.

The great value-add of community hydro was well-noted by other participants who expressed interest in intra-regional exposure visits to share knowledge and build awareness of micro hydro amongst ASEAN energy access practitioners and proponents – in line with HPNET’s approach to peer-to-peer exchange and knowledge exchange.

This article was developed by Ms. Lara Powell (HPNET Secretariat) with inputs from Ms. Jade Angangalo (PAMANA), Ms. Nalori Chakma (REP), Mr. Tarek Ketelsen (AMPERES), Ms. Kaneka Keo (Oxfam), and Dipti Vaghela (HPNET Secretariat).
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TONIBUNG: 2022 HIGHLIGHTS AND A STRONG START IN 2023

1/19/2023

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In 2022, HPNET member TONIBUNG (Friends for Village Development) continued to advance an ambitious array of initiatives to generate impact from community-based renewable energy, both at the policy level and on the ground in partnership with Indigenous communities in Malaysian Borneo.  Two key developments from 2022 are highlighted below, along with an exciting update from January 2023 regarding a first-of-its-kind international knowledge exchange event.

For more exciting updates, be sure to ‘like’ and ‘follow’ TONIBUNG’s very active facebook page.

Sabah RE2 Consortium
Since August 2021, TONIBUNG has been part of the Sabah Renewable Energy Rural Electrification Roadmap (Sabah RE2) Consortium in collaboration with Forever Sabah, Pacos Trust and Green Empowerment.  Supported by the Malaysia-UK PACT (Partnering for Accelerated Climate Transitions) programme, the Sabah RE2 initiative aims to build momentum towards “a future of energy equity, right livelihoods, and wellbeing for rural Sabahans” by advocating for renewable energy as a viable solution for energy access in off-grid communities.  

TONIBUNG’s primary role has been to lead stakeholder training and conduct feasibility studies of potential mini-grid design concepts.  Thus far, the team has conducted feasibility studies in 57 communities for 35 potential mini-grids across Sabah, the findings of which are summarized here.


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Map displaying feasibility studies conducted by TONIBUNG for the SabahRE2 initiative, including for micro hydro, solar and solar-hydro hybrid mini-grids. Credit: SabahRE2.
The Sabah RE2 Consortium has produced a number of rich outputs, including an interactive Demand Map for unelectrified villages in Sabah and other multimedia knowledge products, which can be accessed at sabahre2roadmap.org.

Micro Hydro Training in Bandung, Indonesia

To advance knowledge exchange objectives of the Sabah RE2 initiative, Tonibung engineers and technicians traveled to Bandung, Indonesia for micro hydro development training hosted by Heska Hydro in November, 2022.  HPNET members Pak Komarudin (Protel Multi Energy) and Pak Aji Subekti (Reneconsys) facilitated training on electronic load controllers and mini-grid design fundamentals.  As part of the training, the team also visited two micro hydro sites to enhance their understanding of civil design and to learn about operations and maintenance.  The exposure visits further strengthened the participants’ understanding of the theoretical teachings from the classroom sessions at Heska Hydro.

Inter Learning Exchange on Community-Led Renewable Energy

From January 8-11, 2023, participants from Kenya, Nepal, Cambodia and the Philippines gathered in Kampung Buayan, Ulu Papar, Sabah for the Inter Learning Exchange on Community-led Renewable Energy, co-hosted by TONIBUNG and Right Energy Partnership (REP). 


Participants shared knowledge from their own in-country experiences and learned from the pioneering work of TONIBUNG on implementing community-based micro hydropower in partnership with Indigenous communities.  The participants learned how the community of Kampung Buayan operates and maintains their community hydro mini-grid through a sustainable approach, leveraging capacity building efforts by TONIBUNG and other local partners.  The guests also saw first-hand how the community hydro has generated socioeconomic opportunities, including by enabling motorized agro-processing and allowing children to study at night, among other outcomes.


We extend our thanks to TONIBUNG Founder and HPNET Board Member, Hon. Adrian Banie Lasimbang, for his input on this blog post.  To learn more, contact TONIBUNG at tonibung@gmail.com. 

This article was developed by HPNET Thematic Coordinator, Lara Powell.

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THREE DECADES OF PEOPLE-POWERED DEVELOPMENT: A REFLECTION ON THE JOURNEY OF YAMOG

1/18/2023

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PictureLacking electricity access, a family eats together by candlelight. Credit: Yamog.
When Yamog Renewable Energy Development Group, Inc. started working in Mindanao, Philippines in 1993, the situation in off-grid areas was bleak; there were thousands of households without access to electricity and  perpetually living below the poverty line. Government efforts to extend the grid to far-flung areas, using fossil fuel, miserably failed. By aiming to build sustainable communities driven by renewable energy – specifically community-scale micro hydropower  (MHP) – Yamog was, in a way, dreaming of the almost impossible. Without the necessary expertise in developing water-driven energy systems, scant financial and human resources, and constantly buffeted by precarious socio-economic and political hindrances that characterized Mindanao, Yamog boldly embarked on a journey to build MHP systems in off-grid areas one at a time. It was mostly learning by doing, absorbing the technical and social engineering lessons on the fly. Not many people – including grassroots communities – shared Yamog’s vision, opting to be skeptical about the concept of harnessing water for electricity. Understandably, for them, to see is to believe.

Fortunately, sometime in  1996, after about three years of floating in utter uncertainty, Yamog finally found someone who would  believe. Mr. Walter Skrobanek, Project Officer for Southeast Asia at Terre des Hommes-Germany, provided a small grant to enable Yamog to establish a pilot 3-kilowatt pico hydro system in the village of Megkawayan, an off-grid community in Calinan District, Davao City. The learnings from an earlier training in Nepal that pioneers of Yamog were able to attend were put into good use. As if by miracle, the pico-hydropower system was successfully installed providing clean energy to 30 households. This was the milestone that turned out to be a game changer for Yamog. Although some technical difficulties were still encountered, particularly the system controls, the experience proved that, indeed, it is possible to generate electricity from water coming from the river.

A few communities and local government units in Mindanao took notice of the Megkawayan experience. A few international development and funding agencies began to look favorably on Yamog’s plans to build bigger hydro systems. A very significant part of the journey of Yamog is its membership in the Hydro Empowerment Network (HPNET), a network initially comprising MHP practitioners in South and Southeast Asia. This contributed tremendously to the steady growth of Yamog as an advocate of renewable energy – particularly micro hydropower. This international organization enabled Yamog to link up with the best minds in the MHP sector, and to gain access to valuable support, including technical know-how, material and funding support. The sharing of experiences and the opening of pathways for technology transfer have inspired and strengthened the valuable commitment of Yamog to continue to reach out to those left struggling in the margins of society through the provision of clean, sustainable energy.
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Twenty-six community-scale micro hydropower projects later, Yamog became much more confident in its ability to handle the technical aspect of MHP development. Project feasibility study making, and executing the civil, electrical and mechanical works (except turbine and electronic load controller fabrication) were coming to be not-so-difficult tasks after all. Yamog’s holistic community development framework anchored on a strong community participation and ecosystems regeneration approach emerged from the experiences gained over the years and continued to evolve to become more relevant to the current realities in off-grid areas in Mindanao.


IMPROVING THE LIVES OF PEOPLE IN OFF-GRID COMMUNITIES IN MINDANAO THROUGH SUSTAINABLE ENERGY (I-POSE)

A little more than two decades later, the situation in off-grid communities in Mindanao remains more or less the same with still many households having no access to electricity. With this familiar context, Yamog chose to carry a hopeful spirit when it started the project “Improving the Lives of People in Off-Grid Communities in Mindanao through Sustainable Energy (I-POSE)” in 2019 with the financial and moral support coming from the European Union-Access to Sustainable Energy Programme (EU-ASEP) and Misereor-KZE Germany. The Yamog staff was filled with excitement. For years, they could only dream of such an opportunity; a chance to replicate  their community development model and reach out to more families suffering from energy poverty.

The implementation of the I-POSE project was the most challenging that Yamog has ever experienced in its more than two decades of community development work. Reaching out to poverty-stricken households in geographically isolated villages located in 26 barangays, 6 municipalities and 5 provinces proved to be very grueling – physically, emotionally and psychologically – especially for Yamog field personnel.  It did not help that field personnel would often encounter increasingly unpredictable and punishing weather conditions on top of the challenges of having to hurdle dangerous terrains and rivers. With the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic in early 2020, Yamog workers  thought that they would never be able to finish the Project. 

Eventually, a total of 4,331 households (around 21,655 people) in off-grid communities have been afforded access to renewable and sustainable energy, using an energy mix of micro hydropower and solar power: 
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  • Five community-scale hydropower systems (ranging from 5 – 30 kilowatts) have benefitted 13 villages in the municipalities of Don Marcelino (Davao Occidental), Kapalong (Davao del Norte), Arakan (North Cotabato), and Picong (Lanao del Sur). 
 
  • A total of 103 villages in the municipalities of Kapalong and Talaingod (Davao del Norte), Pantukan (Davao de Oro), Don Marcelino (Davao Occidental), Arakan (North Cotabato), and Magpet (North Cotabato) are now energized by solar home lighting systems (SHLS). 
Overall, the Project approach has benefited 116 off-grid villages in 26 Barangays (local term for municipalities)  in the following ways.

Enhanced Local Governance

A rich base of community human capital has been cultivated resulting from various capacity building activities undertaken. Sustained efforts in community capacity building led to the facilitation of 60 trainings on organizational development, gender mainstreaming, leadership and conflict management, financial management, basic electricity & household wiring, operation & maintenance, watershed protection & conservation. It is worth noting that of the total 1,897 participants who completed the various trainings conducted by Yamog, a total of 818 (or 43%) are women. 

Overall, a total of 55 Energy Users Associations (EUAs) have been organized which are now utilizing, managing and sustaining their renewable energy systems. This has metamorphosed into the creation of the Federation of Renewable Energy Users Associations, the first grassroots-based renewable energy association of its kind in Mindanao.
Ecological Restoration through Micro Hydropower

More than 60,000 tree seedlings have been planted in watershed areas protected by micro hydropower-driven communities. Watershed Protection and Management Plans (WPMPs) have already been formulated by the Energy Users Associations (EUAs) in the following MHP communities: 1) Sitio Camansi, West Lamidan, Don Marcelino, Davao Occidental, 2) Sitio San Malbino, Lapuan, Don Marcelino, Davao Occidental, 3) Sitio Tinanan, Ganatan, Arakan, North Cotabato, 4) Sitio Lower Tagasan, Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte, and 5) Sitio Karibang, Ramitan, Picong, Lanao del Sur. These communities have also established their central tree nurseries as their local counterpart.  
Technology Transfer & Training Center

A very important component of the Project, the Renewable and Sustainable Energy Technologies (ReSET) Center, is already up and running. The financial support coming from the European Union-Access to Sustainable Energy Programme (EU-ASEP) and Misereor-KZE Germany has enabled Yamog to procure the basic equipment and tools necessary to support the operation and maintenance tasks of its partner Energy Users Associations. The ReSET Center is not only a hub for technical support and services, but it is also gradually fulfilling its role as a research and training facility for renewable energy advocates. As an offshoot of the technology transfer initiative of HPNET under the stewardship of Ms. Dipti Vagela, Yamog was able to establish a partnership with PT Entec Indonesia. Yamog is now in the process of fabricating its T15 turbine. Moreover, the ReSET staff are also working on a research project to look into the possibility of putting in place a remote monitoring system for Yamog’s MHP systems located in various places in Mindanao.
INITIAL OBSERVATIONS:  SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACT

Maybe it is too early to gauge the impact of the Project, but at this point the following initial gains can be observed:
  • The Project has definitely improved the quality of life of poor households in the 116 off-grid villages benefited by the Project. The development interventions made possible by the Project have enabled the residents in these communities to have access to the essentials in life – clean energy, capacity to help themselves and regenerate their natural habitat. 
  • The community has sufficient supply of electricity to address basic household needs like household lighting, energizing simple appliances like sound systems, radios, flashlights, cellphones, computers and other chargeable gadgets. A few who could afford to do so have started buying refrigerators. This situation had served them in good stead during the pandemic as news from outside became accessible through their radios, cellphones or TVs that made them more resilient and prepared. 
  • The sufficient energy supply provided by the MHP systems create an opening for addressing productive  end-uses that could bolster agricultural production, food security and household incomes. Except for the 5-kilowatt MHP system in Lower Tagasan, Brgy. Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte, the four other MHP systems (West Lamidan -15 kW, Lapuan – 19 kW, Ganatan – 27 kW, Ramitan – 30 kW) are ready for PURE (productive use of renewable energy). Based on local needs, PURE projects that can be supported by these MHP systems are corn shelling/milling, abaca stripping, feed milling, coffee milling, food processing, and the like. 
  • The communities succeeded in organizing themselves into cohesive social formations (i.e., energy users association, watershed committees, water users association) that serve as effective vehicles for collective planning, decision-making and problem-solving. Coupled with the emergence of a pool of human capital made up of 1,247 first and second-line leaders trained in various fields of knowledge, the communities are well on track to becoming more resilient and successful in sustaining their initial gains in the years to come.
  • Access to electricity has brought forth a conducive learning environment for elementary school children. Aside from making clean energy accessible to households, the MHP systems also provide electricity to elementary schools and teachers quarters or houses. As such, teachers have been able to prepare their lesson plans better and powergadgets such as laptops, TVs and projectors that help make learning activities enjoyable for the children. A comparative look at the performance of schoolchildren (Grades 1-6) in all communities covered by the Project (except Picong, Lanao del Sur) in school years 2019-2020 and 2021-2022 indicate a slight increase in their average grades from 80.34 to 81.43. Even in the face of the pandemic, children have learned to adapt well. Teachers also attribute this mainly to the presence of household lighting which motivates children to do their homework at night. 
  • In many communities, women have shown a very high capacity to play an important role in the implementation and management of the renewable energy sub-projects and their components. Without the very active participation of the women in these communities, many sub-projects would not be implemented successfully. In many instances, they were the driving forces that made community mobilization possible. Worthy of note is the fact that 41% of the officers holding positions in decision-making and management bodies (i.e. EUA Board of Directors, Operation and Maintenance Teams, special committees) are women. The active participation of women in various aspects of project implementation and management is an indication that men in the communities have gradually accepted the role of women in community development, especially the participation of women in decision-making. 
  • In regard to the five MHP communities, the watershed protection plans, activities, policies of their respective EUAs, coupled with changes in people’s behavior towards the forest and river ecosystems, have effectively led to the safeguarding of a total of 1,560 hectares of forest (123% more than the target of 700 hectares). 
  • An initial survey of 2,000 households reveals that 94% of them have totally stopped using kerosene for household lighting. This has resulted in the generation of significant cash savings (i.e. the baseline data indicate that households spent PhP 300-600 PhP per month on kerosene). The remaining 6% said that they sometimes use kerosene when it rains for days on end, limiting the capacity of the solar home lighting systems to absorb sufficient sunlight. This is not the case, however, with beneficiaries of micro hydropower systems who are assured of energy supply 24 hours a day (except when the EUAs execute their regular cleaning and maintenance chores which could be completed in a few hours). Still, the overall amount of carbon emissions avoided – through the implementation of both micro hydropower and solar power – is very significant.

​It has been a long and arduous journey for Yamog. It would not have been possible for this organization to sustain its work in Mindanao without the kindness of people in distant and forgotten villages, international and local development organizations, enlightened local government units and agencies who extended a helping hand when the going got tough. 
ENVISIONED NEXT STEPS
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There are 6.4 million households in Mindanao, of  which 1.5 million households (or 23%) still do not have access to electricity.  Sen. Win Gatchalian, Chair of the Senate Committee on Energy, pointed out that an  alarming number of 2,779,530 households, or 12 percent of the total number of households nationwide, still have no access to electricity. Most of these households are located in Mindanao. Furthermore, he also noted that at least 45% of areas serviced by the National Power Corporation – Small Power Utilities Group (NPC-SPUG) – are receiving only 4 to 8 hours of electricity while 19.9% of areas receive only 9 to 16 hours of electricity service per day. Hence, there are many households in Mindanao considered by the government as "unserved". Many more are considered as "underserved".

At a time when Mindanao will most likely go through an energy crisis in the coming years resulting from its heavy dependence on fossil fuel especially coal (which makes up more than 60% of its energy mix), Yamog is committed to continue its work to empower neglected communities to explore the path towards a clean energy future. For Yamog, access to renewable, sustainable energy matters; but what the people can do together to transform and regenerate their communities is the power that really matters. 

Yamog is actively seeking funding partners for the next phase of its work.  Please contact junjabla@yahoo.com for details.

This article was written by Mr. Porferio R. Jabla, Jr., Founding Chairperson and Managing Director of Yamog Renewable Energy Development Group, Inc.  Mr. Jabla can be reached at junjabla@yahoo.com.
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INDIA-INDONESIA PARTNERSHIP:  PICO HYDRO DEVELOPMENT IN MEGHALAYA

1/16/2023

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Meghalaya is one of India’s eight states making up the country's rich bio- and ethnically-diverse northeastern region.  Since 2013 HPNET members have worked to advance community-scale hydro in Meghalaya for last-mile energy access:

  • In 2013, International Rivers and the Nagaland Empowerment of People thru EnergyDevelopment (NEPeD) hosted a micro hydro exchange event focusing on NE India, which connected HPNET to the Meghalaya Basin Development Agency (MBDA).
  • In 2015, HPNET enabled India practitioners to attend HPNET’s Members Gathering held in Indonesia at the Hydropower Competence Center (HYCOM), connecting them to Pt entec Indonesia.
  • In 2016, MBDA and HPNET held a regional exchange in Meghalaya, with VillageRES and PT entec Indonesia as co-facilitators.
  • In mid-2019, International Rivers and partners, including HPNET, hosted a tri-country dialogue in Meghalaya, with CSOs and local practitioners from Nepal, Myanmar, and India.
  • In late 2019, HPNET supported a reconnaissance field visit to understand field-based challenges to pico hydro scale up in NE India.
  • In 2021, HPNET and International Rivers held a three-part virtual exchange focusing on  Ganges, Brahmaputra, Meghna, and Salween (GBMS) Rivers, providing regional inspiration from across S/SE Asia and customized capacity building.  
  • The 2021 event included a special keynote by Mr. Augustus Suting, Special Officer at MBDA.
In between each of these milestones have been strategy dialogue among members. As such, when MBDA released a tender to accelerate pico hydro for rural electrification, HPNET members already had working relationships and a keen understanding of challenges and key solutions to leverage the opportunity.
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Below Mr. Ramasubramanian Vaidhyanathan (“Rams”), who has long been committed to the sub-region, provides a brief and exciting update on the most recent technical developments brought forth by a partnership between HPNET members VillageRES and Pt entec Indonesia.

To date an estimated 1000 villages remain unelectrified in the northeastern state of Meghalaya in India, out of approximately 6000 villages.  In 2022, MBDA identified about 200+ micro hydro sites for implementation located throughout the state in communities of the Khasi, Jaintia and Garo ethnic tribes.  The identified potential for most of the sites was 3 kW.  A few had a much higher potential but for this tender, projects were limited to 5 kW.

VillageRES (Village Renewable Energy Systems India Private limited) participated in the tender in partnership with EMSYS Electronics Private limited, a solar energy company based in Bangalore. The consortium was awarded 45 sites located throughout Meghalaya.   
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VillageRES entered into a manufacturing license agreement with PT entec Indonesia to manufacture their new cross flow turbine design with 150mm diameter runners. The turbine is called CFT 150/21.

The fabrication began in July 2022.  Pt entec Director, Mr. Gerhard Fischer, and the team helped us a lot with fabricating the first few pieces – updating drawings, dimensions, a few design corrections, etc. We fabricated the units in the south Indian industrial hub of Coimbatore, in the state of Tamil Nadu. 
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We are very pleased with the results: the turbines have come out very well made and were cost effective to fabricate. We also tested a few of the turbines at a site in Meghalaya and the performance was fantastic. We will be assessing the performance of this model more thoroughly once all the units are installed.
During the installation process, we found that many of the sites were situated right next to a waterfall and the penstock was installed at nearly a 90 degree angle without any proper support. While it was logical and easier to select sites that had an obvious sufficient head, other aspects, such as the design of the intake structure, penstock route, and penstock support appeared to have been completely overlooked. We realised that the on-site assessment methodology that we utilize in training has to be much more detailed and maybe periodically conducted to continue to build the capacity of the sector’s local personnel. Unless this is carried out, the project sites are prone to failure within a year or two of the installation.

This guest blog post was written by Mr. Ramasubramanian Vaidhyanathan (“Rams”), Director of VillageRES and HPNET Board of Representative Member for India.  
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He can be reached at ​​rams@villageres.com. 
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PHILIPPINES:  SIBAT YEAR-IN-PHOTOS, 2022

1/12/2023

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For nearly four decades, SIBAT (Sibol Ng Agham At Teknolohiya)  has supported sustainable rural development throughout the Philippines, including through the advancement of community-based renewable energy solutions.  SIBAT has always championed a highly collaborative approach prioritizing community involvement and leadership at every stage of the micro hydro project lifecycle, from project initiation to completion and beyond.  The following provides a glimpse into some of SIBAT’s micro hydro endeavours from 2022 with communities in the Cordillera region of Luzon. 

System Upgrade in Brgy. Mataragan, Malibcong, Abra

In January 2021, SIBAT began working with the community of Brgy. Mataragan, Malibcong, Abra to install a new micro hydropower system (MHP). This new system will be an alternate system for their existing system during summer.  The pre-existing and new system have the same source and forebay but have different penstocks and powerhouses. The old system has a higher head but cannot accommodate their needs for irrigation during Summer, since its tailrace goes directly to the river. On the other hand, the new system has a smaller head but can accommodate the community’s needs for irrigation since the tailrace will be connected to their irrigation system. The old system’s capacity is 25kW while the new system can only produce up to 15kW.  The project is nearing completion following unforeseen delays in 2022.
Crossflow Turbine Fabrication - Sitio Saltan Brgy. Balbalasang

SIBAT has also been supporting an ongoing project to install a new micro hydro system in Sitio Saltan Brgy. Balbalasang, Balbalan Kalinga.  A machinist at SIBAT completed the fabrication of the crossflow turbine for the new system at SIBAT's Center for Renewable Energy and Appropriate Technology (CREATech).  The new system has a design power output of 15KW which will power the whole sitio (i.e. hamlet/territorial enclave).  It is hoped that the installation of a system separate from the Brgy. Balbalasang micro hydro will completely allow the communities to power their other appliances and machinery.
Operator’s Training - Apayao Cluster

From April 20-21, 2022, SIBAT ran an Operator’s Training in Apayao Province, in the Cordillera mountains of Northern Luzon.  As part of the training, 50 participants were grouped into small teams of 5 members each to disassemble and reassemble a crossflow turbine, in order to learn its components. They were guided by SIBAT staff.
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Disassembly and reassembly of crossflow turbine during the Operator’s Training in Apayao Cluster. (Credit: SIBAT)
​The 6-wheeler truck of the Katablangan Indigenous Farmer’s Association (KIFA) did not survive the challenges the road posed on the journey to Upper Katablangan, Conner, Apayao. Thus, SIBAT’s 4WD pickup truck helped to haul the materials. After the 15km travel (approximately two hours), materials needed to be transferred again since the materials can only be hauled by a motorcycle or by manually carrying them because of a narrow road. It took four round trips for SIBAT’s pickup truck to haul all the materials since it is not that big.
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Hauling of Materials to Upper Katablangan, Conner, Apayao via a 15km muddy road. (Credit: SIBAT)
Operator's Training - Kalinga Cluster

From October 20-21, 2022 SIBAT held another Operator’s Training in the Kalinga Province, which involved both theoretical and hands-on lessons to train local micro hydro operators on calibration and troubleshooting for synchronous alternators. 50 operators and officers attended the training from 10 different communities in Kalinga Province. 
​In addition, a separate workshop was conducted for the officers of the MHPs. The workshop was attended by officers with operating MHPs and non-operating MHPs. During the workshop, officers of non-operating MHPs shared the reasons why their systems shut down and indicated that they want to rehabilitate their MHPs to operate again. Officers of operating MHPs also shared what are the current issues and problems they are encountering in operating and maintaining the MHPs. Before the workshop was finished, the whole group formulated solutions to prevent shutdowns and solve the current and future issues that they might encounter.
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Separate workshop for the Officers of the MHPs, during the Local Operator’s Training – Kalinga Cluster. (Credit: SIBAT)
Rehabilitation of Brgy. Talalang, Balbalan, Kalinga Micro Hydro System

Finally, a success was celebrated in Brgy. Talalang, Balbalan, where the community’s MHP system was successfully rehabilitated. After 2 decades of frequent shutdowns and 8 hrs/ per day operation, the Talalang MHP system almost shutdown for good, but with the help of SIBAT, the system now operates for 24 hrs/day. 
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Inauguration of the successful rehabilitation of Brgy. Talalang, Balbalan, Kalinga MHP System. (Credit: SIBAT)

We extend our thanks to Mr. Shen Maglinte, Project Manager at SIBAT, for taking the time to share the photos and descriptions in this blog post.  Mr. Maglinte can be reached at shenmaglinte56@gmail.com. 

The photos were contributed and collated by the SIBAT CBRES Team including Engr. Jeymart Erasquin, Engr. Benazir Gayyed, Engr. Dahlia Tineza,
Engr. Philip Rusland Taggaoa, Gengen Elvina, Jonel Baawa, Deo Espilita, Glendo Gayyed and Roelito Laron.

This article was developed by HPNET Thematic Coordinator, Lara Powell.
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WATCH:  HPNET PRESENTATIONS AT global symposium on sustainable water and energy solutions

8/15/2022

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HPNET members presented at the Global Symposium on Sustainable Water and Energy Solutions in Brazil and Paraguay, convened by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, hosted by ITAIPI Binancional, in partnership with Sustainable Water & Energy Solutions Network, June 13-15, 2022.

If you missed joining the event virtually, their presentations and others are now available at the links below!


Mr. Satish Gautam, National Programme Manager of the Renewable Energy for Rural Livelihoods initiative of Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) and the UNDP in Nepal, presented the drivers that led to the scaled dissemination of micro hydro in Nepal.  Watch here (Apologies, the event organizer's link to this presentation no longer works).

Mr. Sherzad Ali Khan, Regional Coordinator of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in Pakistan presented cases of community-driven enterprise solutions for micro and mini hydro sustainability.  Watch here 

Ms. Jade Angngalao, Indigenous People's Energy Access Specialist in the Philippines presented on the role of Indigenous Knowledge and governance traditions in climate resilient solutions for hydro mini-grids.  Watch here
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KICK-OFF SESSION:  OPEN SOURCE TURGO TURBINE

7/29/2022

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Last month, as part of our SEEED Accelerator we co-hosted the E-learning course, Local Manufacturing of Turgo Turbines, in partnership the University of Bristol, People, Energy and Environment Development Association (PEEDA), Nepal Yantra Shala Energy, and Turbine Testing Lab, Kathmandu University (KU/TTL), with support from Energize Nepal Project (ENEP) and WISIONS of sustainability.

Check out the recording of the Course Kick-off Session below, featuring presentations from the course instructors on localized Turgo turbine manufacturing for micro hydro, with insights from Nepal, and the development of the open source design package.
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E-LEARNING & EXCHANGE OPPORTUNITY: LOCAL MANUFACTURING OF TURGO TURBINES

6/2/2022

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We are very pleased to announce a new E-Learning opportunity: Local Manufacturing of Turgo Turbines.  The course will be held from June 22-29, 2022 as part of our SEEED Accelerator E-Learning series, in partnership with the University of Bristol (UoB), People Energy and Environment Development Association (PEEDA), Nepal Yantra Shala Energy (NYSE), Kathmandu University Turbine Testing Lab (TTL/KU), and Hydro Empowerment Network (HPNET), with support from Energize Nepal Project (ENEP) and WISIONS.  Offered at no cost, the 1-week, virtual course aims to advance local manufacturers in the global South who have experience in designing and fabricating small-scale (<1 MW) hydropower turbines.  Time commitment and pre-qualifications are explained below.

At the core of the course curriculum is an open source Turgo turbine design package, developed by PEEDA in collaboration with the UoB, TTL/KU and NYSE.  Participants will have access to engineering drawings, a design spreadsheet and a 3D CAD file, within a practical training experience that includes opportunity for live interface with instructors.  In turn, discussion and exchange will facilitate feedback to aid further refinement of the design package, particularly to enhance its application in different contexts.  Thus, participants will benefit from a practical skill-building opportunity, while contributing to the upscaling of Turgo turbine deployment across the global South. 
Format:  E-learning, 1-week self-paced, with two live sessions (course kickoff and Q&A)

Duration:  June 22 - 29, 2022

Core Topics:  Turgo Turbine - Open Source Design
  • An introduction to the Turgo turbine, including pros and cons
  • Manufacturing method
  • Walk-through of design spreadsheet
  • Overview of manufacturing drawings 

​​Resource Provided:  
  • Access to relevant SEEED modules
  • Design spreadsheet*​
  • Manufacturing drawings* 
​*Drawings and design spreadsheet will be provided to those who attend the live Kick-off Session on June 22.  This is because the instructor would like to convey important information regarding the design, and receive feedback from participants.  

Pre-Qualifications:  All local manufacturers based in Asia, Africa, or Latin America, who submit the Application Form by June 15, 2022, will be accepted.  Those based in other regions can contact the instructor at joe.butchers@bristol.ac.uk.

Estimated Time Commitment:  Live sessions and self-work modules

Live Sessions starting at 8pm Philippines (find your local time here):
  • Kick off session:  June 22, 8 - 9:30pm Philippines: 1.5 hours*
    *Mandatory to attend live session for receiving design spreadsheet and engineering drawings.
  • Q&A Session: June 29, 8 - 9pm Philippines: 1 hour**
    **If not possible to attend, viewing the recording is strongly recommended.​

Self-work via the SEEED E-Learning platform: 
  • Module D, Water Resource Assessment: 2.5 hours (optional)
  • Module E, Terrain Assessment & Basics of Design: 4 hours (optional)
  • Module F,  Power Output & Turbine Selection: 2 hours (optional)
  • Module K, Turgo Turbine - Open Source Design: 2 hours (mandatory*)
                    *Module K is mandatory for receiving a course completion certificate.

Application Form:  Apply no later than June 15, 2022 at the link below.

REGISTER HERE
Why Turgo?
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As a medium head turbine, the Turgo offers a viable option for sites where head and flow characteristics make the choice between Pelton and Cross-flow turbines difficult.  Based on hindsight from Nepal, for sites where this choice is difficult, the Turgo presents a beneficial option both in terms of performance and cost.  Other benefits include that the Turgo deals well with silt and that it operates at a higher speed than the Pelton which enables direct drive transmission at much lower heads.  Thus, the Turgo may require fewer parts, improving its reliability. 

The engineering drawings that will be provided in the course are for a direct drive Turgo turbine design that can be used for heads between approximately 45and 90m and flow rates from 100 to 150 L/s.  Currently, the design has used a direct drive transmission, however, the design could be adapted for use with a  belt drive transmission.  In the near future, the design team plans to develop Turgo design packages for various heads and flow rates. 
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The different flow passages for the Pelton and Turgo turbines. Reference: P.N. Wilson, A high-speed impulse turbine, Water Power (1967).
Background
​

This E-Learning opportunity has stemmed from a 2-year project of PEEDA, UoB, KU and NYSE: Upscaling Locally Manufactured Turgo Turbine: Dissemination and Demonstration.  Focused on the Nepal context, the primary aim of the project is to improve the technology readiness level of the Turgo turbine through capacity building, knowledge transfer and the development of an open source repository for Turgo turbine system design.  Following multiple stages of design improvement using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), an improved blade design was then 3D-printed in Kathmandu, providing a mold for casting.  All other components were also designed such that all components could be manufactured in Nepal.  

The turbine has now been built and installed at a pilot site in the Taplejung District of Eastern Nepal.  The system is rated at 32 kW and is now running and awaiting testing by the KU Turbine Testing Lab.  Site-based testing equipment has been procured, including an ultrasonic flow meter and digital pressure transducer, which will be used for testing efficiency. 
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Pilot Site. Credit: Energize Nepal, School of Engineering, Kathmandu University.
Through this project, an in-person workshop was also held in Kathmandu in April 2022 to introduce the Turgo to other manufacturing companies in Nepal and begin to elicit feedback on the design and resources that had been developed.  Feedback was largely positive with some useful suggestions for improving ease of use, which will be integrated into the materials provided in the SEEED E-Learning course.  The upcoming course will provide further opportunity to extend and improve upon the design and resources provided, based on feedback from practitioners based in different contexts. 

Looking Forward

Currently, the open source design package is for a direct drive Turgo turbine designed for heads between approximately 45 and 90m and flow rates from 100 to 150 L/s.  A longer-term objective is to develop design packages for various runner sizes with corresponding blade designs, such that a manufacturer could utilize the open source tools for any head and flow rate where Turgo is possible.  That is, they would be directed to the appropriate blade size and pitch-to-center diameter (PCD) with corresponding engineering drawings for other components.  Another longer-term aim is to develop a knowledge transfer process and approach that can potentially be replicated for different turbine types, across different country contexts.  The upcoming course will be an important step in the development and improvement of said process.

Learn More
​

To learn more about the Turgo turbine and the project that led to the open source design package, check out the project description and this blog post by course instructor, Dr. Joe Butchers, Teaching Associate in Engineering Design  at the University of Bristol.  For further background on HPNET’s SEEED Accelerator and previous E-Learning courses, see here.
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GLOBAL SYMPOSIUM ON SUSTAINABLE WATER AND ENERGY SOLUTIONS

6/1/2022

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Sustainable water and energy solutions go hand and hand, as key cross-cutting factors that intersect with multiple Sustainable Development Goals.  From June 13-15, 2022, the Global Symposium on Sustainable Water and Energy Solutions will be held in Brazil and Paraguay, convened by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, hosted by ITAIPI Binancional, in partnership with Sustainable Water & Energy Solutions Network. The main objective of the symposium is “to enhance the capacities of relevant stakeholders including governmental institutions to effectively manage the water-energy nexus and interlinkages with other SDGs covering the social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainable development”. 
 
Three HPNET members will be presenting at the symposium:  Satish Gautam, National Programme Manager of the Renewable Energy for Rural Livelihood (RERL), a joint project of the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) Alternative Energy Promotion Center (AEPC) and UNDP in Nepal; Sherzad Ali Khan, Regional Coordinator of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) in Pakistan; and Jade Angngalao, Indigenous People's Energy Access Specialist for HPNET’s efforts in the Philippines. Satish Gautam will present in Session 2: Sustainable Water and Energy Solutions & Energy Case Studies.  Sherzad Ali Khan and Jade Angngalao will both present in Session 7: Sustainable Water and Energy Solutions - Economic Interlinkages.

More information about this event is available at the website of the Global Sustainable Water and Energy Solutions Network at this link. 
 
The event will be offered in a hybrid format.  To join virtually, register in advance at this link.
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SEEED E-LEARNING: THREE COURSES & MORE TO COME

5/31/2022

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February 2022 marked the launch of our SEEED E-Learning series, made possible with support from Skat Foundation, DGRV, GIZ, and WISIONS.  Hosted on our new SEEED E-Learning platform, the series was launched as part of our SEEED Accelerator, an initiative to unlock the full potential of hydro mini-grid practitioners and communities in the Asia Pacific, Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa.  

Social Enterprise for Energy, Ecological and Economic Development (SEEED) is HPNET’s approach for community-scale hydro implementation, based on the core elements needed to optimize hydro mini-grid sustainability, local socio-economic benefits, and climate resilience.  The core elements of SEEED are shown below. 

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The SEEED Accelerator focuses on knowledge exchange and advocacy to generate impact, facilitating local practitioners to transition to sustainable hydro mini-grids rooted in the SEEED approach.  The SEEED E-Learning series offers courses focused on the core elements of SEEED, shown above.  The first three courses hosted thus far were:
  1. Fundamentals of Community-Scale Hydro Mini-Grids
  2. Climate Resilient Solutions to Hydro Mini-Grids
  3. Agroecological Benefits of Hydro Mini-Grids
Course 1: Fundamentals of Community-Scale Hydro Mini-Grids

The first course was hosted over 6 weeks during February and March, 2022, and focused on technical and local enterprise aspects of community hydro systems.  The course began with a live Kick-off Session overviewing HPNET’s SEEED Initiative and introducing the course instructors, modules and e-learning platform.  The curriculum provided participants with a solid introduction – and, for some, some a useful refresher – on the fundamental elements of sustainable community-scale hydropower implementation.  

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Course modules included:
  • Orientation to Hydro Mini-Grids
  • Social Enterprise Models for Mini-Grids
  • Demand Assessment
  • Water Resource Assessment
  • Terrain Assessment
  • Power Output Design

In addition to independent learning, weekly live sessions provided opportunity for peer-to-peer dialogue and engagement with instructors.  Participants joined from a range of backgrounds and the organizing team in turn learned a lot from participants who shared their experiences during the live sessions. In total, 211 people registered representing 43 countries and feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. We are very pleased by the turnout and response for our first course of the E-Learning series!
Course 2: Climate Resilient Solutions to Hydro Mini-Grids 

Sustainable watersheds are the foundational element of SEEED because hydro mini-grid sustainability relies on healthy forested watersheds; in turn, hydro mini-grids incentivize watershed restoration and stewardship.  In the context of the global climate crisis, ecosystem health is all the more important for ensuring climate resilient hydro mini-grids and communities.  

With this in mind, the second SEEED E-course focused on solutions for enabling climate resilient hydro mini-grids.  The course oriented participants to the important role of traditional ecological knowledge and environmental governance systems of Indigenous and local communities.  It then introduced the key phases of watershed management for hydro mini-grids and practical examples of watershed treatment, such as reforestation, agriculture-related solutions, and built structures for managing flooding and erosion. 

The course modules included:
  • Orientation to Community-Scale Hydropower
  • Climate Resilient Watersheds of Hydro Mini-Grids
  • Phases of Watershed Management for Hydro Mini-Grids
  • Watershed Treatment for Hydro Mini-Grids

​To kick off the course, we were privileged to have Hon. Adrian Banie Lasimbang join us as a speaker, who is an Advisor for TONIBUNG and JOAS and serves on the boards of the Right Energy Partnership (REP) and HPNET.  Watch the recording for insights on the role of Indigenous communities in the water-energy-food-forests-livelihoods nexus.

 
PictureOwner of rice mill powered by a cooperative-owned micro hydro system in Shan State. Credit: D. Vaghela.
Course 3: Agroecological Benefits to Hydro Mini-Grids

According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), agroecology is “a holistic and integrated approach that simultaneously applies ecological and social concepts and principles to the design and management of sustainable agriculture and food systems.”  Agroecology presents an integrative approach that generates multiple benefits for people and nature.  The latest course of the series introduces the integration of community-scale hydropower with agroecology for mutual benefits.  Alongside refresher modules from Course 1 and 2, the key module is “Impact of Community Hydro on Agroecology”, which covers:
  • Agroecology and Climate Resilient Livelihoods
  • Integrating Community Hydro with Agroecology
  • Food Forests for Community Hydro Catchment Areas


Field-Based Training
In conjunction with Courses 2 and 3, a field-based workshop was conducted in Sitio Gawaan Proper, Kalinga Province, Philippines, to build the capacity of local practitioners and community members to develop climate resilient hydro mini-grids and leverage benefits at the nexus of water, energy, food, forests and livelihoods. Read more here.

Upcoming SEEED E-Learning Courses
Registration is now open for the next SEEED E-Learning course, Local Manufacturing of Turgo Turbines. The course will take place over 5 days in late June, 2022, and is designed for experienced manufacturers of hydro mini-grids. Click here to learn more.

To stay in-the-loop on SEEED E-Learning opportunities, sign up for our newsletter!

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INTRODUCING THE SEEED E-LEARNING PLATFORM

5/31/2022

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We are thrilled to announce the launch of our SEEED E-Learning platform!  The all-new platform is designed to facilitate online learning and capacity building on key topics for hydro mini-grid sustainability and social-ecological impact.  The E-Learning platform provides an interactive, user-friendly interface that hosts our SEEED E-Learning series, which we launched earlier this year with support from Skat Foundation, DGRV, GIZ, and WISIONS.  

The SEEED Approach
​
Our E-Learning initiative is embedded in the SEEED Accelerator.  Collating 40-years of experiential hindsight in the Asia Pacific, HPNET established the Social Enterprise for Energy, Ecological and Economic Development (SEEED) approach for community-scale hydro implementation.  Ultimately, SEEED aims to facilitate sustainable hydro mini-grids that support community empowerment beyond electricity generation.

​The SEEED approach integrates key factors for optimizing hydro mini-grid sustainability, local socio-economic benefits, and climate resilience.  The core elements of SEEED are shown below.  The foundational elements of sustainable watersheds and technical reliability focus on functionality.  Once they are established and the system is functioning consistently, productive end use and inclusive enterprise aspects can be achieved, bringing value-add to local livelihoods.  

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SEEED Accelerator

The approach is embedded into an accelerator program aimed to unlock the full potential of hydro mini-grid practitioners and communities.  The Accelerator incorporates knowledge exchange and strategic advocacy to advance context-responsive solutions in line with proven approaches.  The SEEED Accelerator utilizes a 4-step strategy to generate impact from knowledge exchange and advocacy activities, as shown below. 
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SEEED E-Learning Series

The SEEED E-Learning platform is designed to support practitioners to learn about the core elements of SEEED, through self-paced, interactive learning.  So far, the platform has hosted three E-courses: 
  1. Fundamentals of Community-Scale Hydro Mini-Grids
  2. Climate Resilient Solutions to Hydro Mini-Grids
  3. Agroecological Benefits of Hydro Mini-Grids

The independent learning portion of each course consisted of a series of modules designed around video-based learning, supplementary reading and self-assessment quizzes.  Participants also engaged in live sessions to connect with experts and peers on the topics addressed in the modules.  To read more about the above courses, click here.   
​
We look forward to hosting more E-Learning opportunities soon, including the 5-day course, Local Manufacturing of Turgo Turbines, in June, 2022.

To stay up to date on SEEED E-Learning opportunities, sign up for our newsletter.
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NEPAL:  MINI HYDRO COMMISSIONING AND LOCAL CAPACITY BUILDING BY RERL-AEPC AND UNDP

5/30/2022

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Renewable Energy for Rural Livelihoods (RERL) is a joint project of the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) of the Government of Nepal and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).  Last quarter, RERL made headway on multiple small-scale hydro projects, including the testing and commissioning of the Phawa Khola Mini Hydropower Project, and a mason training to develop local capacity.

Phawa Khola Mini Hydropower Project


In April 2022, RERL conducted power output testing for the 500 kW Phawa Khola MHP, located in Sirijangha Rural Municipality of Taplejung district, Nepal.  This project will provide electricity access to unelectrified households in the vicinity and the surplus energy shall be exported to the national grid through net metering provision.  RERL expert and HPNET member Jiwan Kumar Mallik shares more about the Phawa Khola Mini Hydro commissioning here. 


The project was developed under the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) project of the Asia Development Bank (ADB), funded with subsidy, community equity and a loan from Machhapuchre Bank (MBL).  Upon completion of the SASEC project, a total of four mini hydro systems with a total capacity of 1.1 MW will be in operation.  

Mason Training
​

To support local capacity development in the catchment area of the Saniveri Mini Hydro project, RERL organized a 15-day Mason Training in Saniveri Puttha Uttar Ganga, East Rukum, Nepal. The training also included 2 days of ‘On the Job’ vocational training facilitated by Baraha Institute of Engineering and Technology.  10 men and 5 women participated in the training and are expected to be engaged in construction of the MHP.
​
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Mason Training in Saniveri Puttha Uttar Ganga, East Rukum, Nepal. Credit: RERL.
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INDIGENOUS-LED WATERSHED MANAGEMENT AT 2ND ASIA PARKS CONGRESS

5/30/2022

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Indigenous peoples have a wealth of knowledge and long-proven environmental governance systems that support healthy watershed ecosystems. In turn, Indigenous-led watershed conservation can contribute toward biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and climate resilient hydro mini-grids. 

HPNET Board Member, Hon. Adrian Banie Lasimbang, recently brought this important message to the 2nd Asia Parks Congress, which was held at the Sabah International Convention Centre from May 24-29, 2022.  Hon. Lasimbang is an Advisor for TONIBUNG and JOAS and a Board Member for the Right Energy Partnership (REP).  At the congress, Adrian presented a paper on the ways in which Indigenous-led watershed conservation contributes to biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation, highlighting the role of the Tagal system in watershed management, through a case study in Ulu Papar, Sabah.  Tagal refers to the watershed stewardship system/protocols of the Orang Asal Indigenous communities of Sabah. 
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Hon. Adrian Banie Lasimbang presenting at the 2nd Asia Parks Confress. Source: B. Lasimbang.
Read More:
  • Kickoff Session: Climate Resilient Solutions to Hydro Mini-Grids – Featuring Hon. Adrian Banie Lasimbang sharing perspectives on climate resilience, the water-energy-food-forests-livelihoods nexus, and Indigenous rights, traditional knowledge and stewardship protocols.
  • Earth Voices Blog: Featuring Kampung Buayan, Ulu Papar
  • TONIBUNG (friends for village development) - HPNET Member Organization
  • Jaringan Orang Asal SeMalaysia (JOAS) - The Indigenous Peoples Network of Malaysia
  • Right Energy Partnership
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NEPAL:  HONORING SMALL-SCALE HYDRO PIONEER, MR. SHYAM RAJ PRADHAN

5/23/2022

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The small-scale hydro sector for energy access in Nepal has achieved immense success over the last fifty years, with over 3000 communities electrified using mostly localized technology.  Amidst new challenges and opportunities, policy, technology, and institutional solutions continue to emerge from Nepal’s long committed and experienced ecosystem of stakeholders.

Such a vibrant, living localized sector in Nepal has been made possible thanks to the pioneers who sacrificed professionally and personally to advance the sector as a whole.  One such early pioneer of micro and mini hydro development in Nepal is the late Mr. Shyam Raj Pradhan, the founder of Nepal Yantra Shala Energy (NYSE), now the leading small-scale hydro manufacturer and service provider in Nepal and in South Asia, serving the sector globally. ​
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Mr. Shyam Raj Pradhan at Balaju Yantra Shala. Credit: Video Biography of Shyram Raj Pradhan
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In the 1980s, Mr. Pradhan electrified remote communities in the foothills of the Nepali Himalayas. Credit: Credit: Video Biography of Shyram Raj Pradhan
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Projects areas of NYSE. Credit: Video Biography of Shyram Raj Pradhan
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Mr. Pradhan inspecting a Pelton runner. Credit: Credit: Video Biography of Shyram Raj Pradhan
To honor Mr. Pradhan’s legacy, NYSE has released a biography in the format of both a book and a video-biography capturing his inspiring journey to becoming a gifted engineer and leading social entrepreneur.  Among the highlights presented in the video-biography, using historic visuals from the years of 1937 until 2014, include:
  • Overcoming challenging socio-economic conditions in his youth [5:11]
  • Making the most of educational and other learning opportunities [7:14] 
  • Joining the Swiss Association for Technical Assistance (SATA) in 1958, and becoming the chief of engineering at Balaju Yantra Shala (BYS), one of the key enterprises that led to developing Nepal’s ecosystem of local experts [8:17]
  • Developing the earliest multi-use hydropower innovations, including in 1962 Nepal’s first micro hydro project installed to innovatively feed fish in the Godawari pond [10:59]
  • Excelling at BYS, leading to a 2-year opportunity in 1964 to learn advanced mini hydro and hydraulic ram pump technology in Switzerland, and return to Nepal committed long-term to small-scale hydro [11:48]
  • Finding his life partner, Mrs. Baba Pradhan, who played a vital role in developing NYSE while raising their two young children, as the family became fully committed to small-scale hydro [13:23]
  • Establishing his first manufacturing workshop, supplying hydropower and productive end use equipment for agri-processing, papermaking, and other rural industry [14:58]
  • Building the capacity of villagers and youth who wanted to learn hydropower design, and impact of the Agriculture Development Bank in scaling up installations [17:03]
  • Committing to high quality standards, including innovating different types and capacities of turbine designs to generate higher efficiencies [23:36]
  • Developing a legacy through his sons and the many persons he has trained to ensure Nepal was self-reliant in terms of small-scale hydropower knowhow [25:56]
Mr. Bikram Pradhan and Dr. Suman Raj Pradhan, sons of Mr. Shyam Raj Pradhan, held a launch ceremony for the biography in May 2022.  The event was attended by various experts of Nepal’s small-scale hydro sector, including:
  • Dr. Narayan Adhikari, Director of Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC)
  • Dr. Govinda Pokhrel and Shree Krishna Updhaya, Ex Vice Chair-person and Ex Members of the National Planning Commission
  • Dr. Ram Prasad Dhital, Commissioner of the Nepal Electricity Regulatory Commission and former Executive Director of the AEPC
  • Mr. Vishwa Bhushan Amatya, small-scale hydro and energy access expert, and Board Member of the Hydro Empowerment Network (HPNET)
  • Surendra Mathema and other members of the Nepal Micro Hydro Development Association (NMHDA)
  • Dr. Prachanda Pradhan, the scholar individual who initiated the biography. ​​
Images and a video of the launch ceremony can be found here.  The event was also mentioned in this news article (in Nepali language).  The video-biography is accessible here:
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HPNET MEMBERS & PARTNERS AT SEFORALL FORUM 2022

5/23/2022

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From May 17-19, 2022, several HPNET members and partners attended and presented at the Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) Forum in Kigali, Rwanda.  The forum brought together stakeholders from around the world to take stock of progress, address challenges and spur investment towards the delivery of Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG7) to end energy poverty and advance a just energy transition globally.

We provide a brief snapshot of HPNET’s member and partner presence below.


Presenters
  • Madhusudhan Adhikari, Executive Director of the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) in Nepal, took part in high level dialogues and also presented.
  • Ayu Abdullah, Co-Executive Director at Energy Action Partners, spoke on the panel organized by the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE), “Certification Approaches for Decentralized Renewable Energy Practitioners."
  • Ranisha Basnet, Project Manager at Energypedia, spoke at the Humanitarian Energy Conference held as a side event to the Forum. (Read More)

Attendees
  • WISIONS
  • People, Energy & Environment Development Association (PEEDA)
  • Green Empowerment    
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DOBRIYAL BROTHERS SHARES A SNAPSHOT OF COMMUNITY PRIDE

5/20/2022

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HPNET Member, thirty-five year old Aman Dobriyaal, based in the foothills of the Himalayas in India, taught himself how to manufacture pico hydro Crossflow turbines over a decade ago. Since then Aman has built and helped to install over 700 units for households and communities in remote corners of India, Africa, Europe, and the Americas.  

His local enterprise Dobriyal Brothers recently established a turbine manufacturing center, soon to include a pico hydro testing facility.  Aman seeks to advance their work and contribute experiences by engaging with HPNET’s SEEED Accelerator.  

Among the units he supplied this quarter is a 3kW system to electrify an Indigenous community near Rayagada, Chitragrah, supported by the local government.  Aman visited the site for a feasibility assessment and then guided the team remotely to install and test the system.  

He received this video of jubilee, which exemplifies the Indigenous pride that comes with localized approaches to community-scale hydro.

Check out the video!
For more information contact Aman Dobriyaal at dobriyalbrothers1986@gmail.com and at +91 95570 79907 by phone or WhatsApp.
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SELF-TAUGHT MALAWI MANUFACTURER RECEIVES TEVETA AWARD

5/16/2022

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Malawi-based small-scale hydro entrepreneur, Hastings Mkandawire, recently received an inaugural, prestigious award from the Technical, Entrepreneurial, Vocational Education and Training Authority (TEVETA), called Ngwazi ya Lusu mu Malawi, translated as "The Most Skillful Person in Malawi".  A self-taught engineer, Hastings began manufacturing pico and micro hydro turbines from recycled materials to generate electricity in his village and neighboring communities.  

His first decade in the sector focused on pico hydro projects, developing over 100 units.  During this period he trained over 50 youth and facilitated the formation of a youth group, which went onto installing over 300 units.  Because rural Malawi is less than 5% electrified, the pico hydro units have brought immense benefits to the communities.

Nearing the start of his second decade in the sector, in 2014 Hastings was selected to take part in the Mandela Washington for Young African Leaders (YALI) fellowship program, after which point he established the turbine manufacturing social enterprise,  Muzuzu Institute of Technology and Innovation (MZITI) in 2015.  MZITI has enabled Hastings to spend the last decade focusing on upgrading his pico hydro fabrication skills to micro hydro manufacturing.  The MZITI facility has various metal fabrication equipment, including lathes, welding machines, cutters, etc.  At MZITI Hastings can now manufacture Crossflow and Pelton turbines for micro hydro capacities.  In addition, Hastings supports pico and micro hydro communities in establishing productive end uses, including manufacturing grain mills at MZITI.

With recent support from the Segal Family Foundation, MZITI now has a computer aided design (CAD) center, allowing Hastings to advance his manufacturing.  HPNET is collaborating with Hastings to find ways to develop higher efficiency micro hydro systems at MZITI, and to scale up its implementation to accelerate rural electrification in Malawi.

At the YALI Summit, then US President Barack Obama acknowledged Hastings’ work, saying: “​​In rural Malawi, he saw towns in darkness, without electricity. So now he gathers scrap metal, builds generators on his porch, takes them down to the stream for power, delivers electricity so farmers can irrigate their crops and children can study at night”.  
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Learn more about Hastings’ work in the links below -- keeping in mind that some of the videos are outdated and do not reflect Hastings current phase of development. :)  HPNET will soon feature Hastings in a StreamSide Chats edition -- stay tuned!

  • “YALI Fellow: Hastings Mkandawire Making Electricity” 
  • “Homemade” – a video featuring Hastings’ story
  • “Social Entrepreneur Spotlight: Hastings Mkandawire”
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"HIDDEN NO MORE": LOOKING BACK ON THREE DECADES OF LEADERSHIP WITH URMILA SENAPATI

5/10/2022

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PictureUrmila Senapati. Credit: A. Behara.
In this edition of Hidden No More, we are thrilled to feature Urmila Senapati, a community hydro pioneer in her own right who led community development initiatives in Odisha, India for over three decades.  Under Urmila’s leadership, community energy access projects were first initiated at Gram Vikas, where she worked from 1986 to 2019, tirelessly advocating for community-led transformation.  Read on for a glimpse into Urmila’s inspiring journey, as she reflects on her trials and triumphs over the years. 

You can check out more Hidden No More interviews here.  The series spotlights women small-scale hydro practitioners, to honour trailblazers who have made a difference in the sector and to inspire the current and next generation of women practitioners.


To start with, Urmilaji, can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I started with Gram Vikas in 1986, when I was 26 years old.  I worked there for 33 years, until retiring in 2019. I currently live in my native village called Raghunathour, in Jagatsingpur District in Odisha State, India.  While I was working for Gram Vikas, I never thought that I would retire when I reached a certain age; I always thought that I would retire when I felt tired, but there is an enforced age for retirement that I had to follow. After retirement, many of my well-wishers invited me to continue my journey working in the sector, but unfortunately my mother’s health condition, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, prevented me from continuing. That said, I still try to help my colleagues with work matters over the phone sometimes.
When I was working, I hardly had any time to spend with my parents.  Now it is a blessing that at least I have the chance to look after my mother in her old age.  In addition, I’ve recently developed some of our unused land into a small vegetable garden.  I’m applying some of what we taught communities about agriculture and land management and am getting great satisfaction from my garden.  Giving advice to others is a completely different experience than doing it oneself! 
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Urmila and a neighbour tending to their crops. Credit: U. Senapati.
How did you start your career and what inspired you to start working in community development?

I was born and raised in Kharagpur, West Bengal up to grade 7, as my father worked for the railway department.  When my grandfather passed away, my siblings and I (two boys and four girls) moved to our family’s village with my mother.  We went to live with our paternal uncle, but it didn’t work out.  My uncles were very powerful men in the village.  They didn’t allow us to live with them nor did they give us our share of our paternal property.  They harassed us and prevented me from going to school.  I was 11 years old at the time.  They purposefully disconnected our electricity and didn’t even allow us to buy kerosene from the shop to use for lanterns.  Those incidents sparked a rebellious spirit in me.  I realized how rich and powerful people treat the poor. 

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Under such conditions I completed my studies, and at the age of 19, I started my career as a government school teacher, but I did not continue for long.  One of my cousin’s brothers, Badal, was working in the charitable sector and asked me if you I would be interested to work in the sector.  The day I got the chance to work in the nonprofit sector, I immediately joined Gram Vikas as a Field Organiser in a remote tribal village under Kerandimal project, Ganjam District.  During those days a typical work day included 16-17 hours of walking, often from 6:00am to 11:00pm, to engage with community members.  Most of my friends criticized me, saying that I was crazy to leave my government job for this type of work, but I did not care. After that I never looked back.  I grasped the opportunity to work independently and uplift the voices of poor communities to a higher level, to fight against injustice and inequality. This is the way I started my career in the nonprofit sector. Over time I held different positions with increasing responsibility, up to Senior Manager, and did my best to produce positive results in each role.
“I grasped the opportunity to work independently and uplift the voices of poor communities to a higher level, to fight against injustice and inequality."
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Koinpur tribal village in Gajapati district. Credit: U. Senapati.
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Horticulture developed in Bafola tribal village in Kalahandi district. Credit: U. Senapati.
We understand that it was under your leadership that renewable energy initiatives were first initiated at Gram Vikas. What inspired you to start promoting micro hydropower?

I realized early on that water is a precious resource.  In southern and western Odisha, most tribal communities are less developed than those in other parts of Odisha.  They lack basic services and access to clean water, electricity, communications, food security, healthcare, etc.  Most tribal people die from common diseases like diarrhoea, TB, fever and jaundice, most often impacted by waterborne diseases.  Water is important for many reasons.  Can you imagine that, to get a bucket of water, a woman must walk 1 to 2 kms in a mountainous area?  Cooking and eating must be finished before nightfall, otherwise families must eat by the light of a fire (“chula” light).  Some communities have abundant natural resources but cannot benefit from them; all the water goes downstream and is used for large hydroelectric dams and irrigation channels to improve agriculture production for affluent people.  The government always thinks that, unlike the rich, poor people need only poor solutions.

In this context, we noticed that some villages had very good untapped water sources up in the mountains.  It occurred to me that we could use this water to improve livelihoods through electricity access, but at first, I did not know how. I discussed this with my Director who consulted a few technical experts.  One person named Jogesh, from Utarakhanda, visited one of our sites and said the site could produce 15 to 25 KW of electricity. Using their feasibility report we decided to construct a micro hydro project.  Fortunately, at that time we had an Australian volunteer named Michael who had been working with Gram Vikas for two years, under the leadership of then-Program Manager, Liby Johnson [now Executive Director of Gram Vikas].  Michael provided technical support to initiate the first micro hydro project in a tribal village called Amthaguda in Kalahandi District.  When Michael left, Dipti Vaghela [now Network Facilitator and Manager at HPNET] joined Gram Vikas, providing technical support to continue the project and she helped to bring it to completion.  We were able to work within a very restrictive budget, since the community contributed in-kind labour and provided local materials free of cost, and we developed a system for monthly tariff collection.  We also supported one youth from the village to receive training on system operation and maintenance.  This project not only generated electricity, but also helped the community to increase their food production through land irrigation, provided 100% of households with 24/7 access to safe water for toilets, and improved health by mitigating water borne diseases.

The day electricity came to the village, people celebrated by cooking a bhoji for a jatra (as if there was a festival for the whole community).  What the government had not accomplished over 60 years, the community accomplished in two years, with perseverance to overcome various challenges. Upon seeing the success of micro hydro in Amthaguda village, other nearby villages stepped forward to develop community hydro as well.  To date, five hydro mini-grids are running in Kalahandi District.
What kind of challenges have you encountered in your career journey? Have you faced particular challenges as a woman practitioner?

Yes, I have encountered many challenges in both my personal life and working life.  Firstly, as a woman, it is often not easy to be accepted as a leader; often you are only accepted when there is no alternative and only once you have proven yourself.  I first faced this challenge and demonstrated my leadership capacity in Thuamul Rampur project in Kalahandi District.

Thuamul Rampur project was, and remains, one of the key tribal community sites for Gram Vikas.  It was situated in a forest reserve area with no communication services and only one pucca (“paved”) road from Bhawanipatna district headquarters to Thuamulpur block headquarters, thus I had to walk part of the journey.  Due to its extreme remoteness and underdevelopment, in a hilly area with dense forest, those living in the area faced many challenges including malaria, lack of electricity, no running water, and dangerous wildlife encounters.  Moreover, the site was 450 kms from Gram Vikas headquarters.  The project was initiated in 1988.  From ‘88 to ’94, 6 Team Leaders were posted within 6 years.  Most of them were not interested to stay in such poor conditions for extended periods.  Not only Team Leaders, but also staff turnover was very high.  Those who visited the site and didn’t quit immediately often came down with malaria after a few weeks (although this problem has since reduced).  As such, amongst Gram Vikas staff, this project was considered the most difficult.   Often, staff would resign before transferring to Thuamul Rampur having heard of its challenging conditions; and those who were successful in Thuamul Rampur earned great respect.  The area was rich in natural resources like water sources, forests and minerals, and both  a challenging yet inspiring context for outsiders.

In 1995, I was posted as a Team Leader in Thuamul Rampur.  I was shocked to find that 95% of my staff were much more senior than myself and there was only one woman out of 45.  “Who will take me seriously,” I thought.  The staff advised that, being a woman, I should not go to the field and, rather, remain working from the project office.  All the community work would be done by them, and I was only to process bills and pay vouchers.  I was confused and afraid -- how could I lead the project without doing field work and engaging with communities?  I informed them that my primary job required field visits and I acted accordingly.  During field visits I noticed some problems including improper reporting of finances and staff work hours, and lack of discipline among staff when in the villages.  I tried my best to correct these issues, but it was not an easy task for me.  The staff disliked the changes I was trying to instill and created obstacles for me.  The situation worsened to the point that my supervisor became my adversary; but thankfully the Gram Vikas Director was able to understand my intentions and was supportive.
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Village meeting on implementation of micro hydro project in Karlapat village, Kalahandi District. Credit: U Senapati.
How did you overcome these obstacles? What helped you to persevere?

​During that challenging time in Thuamul Rampur I discussed the situation with our Director and thankfully he provided moral and strategic support, even directly in the field.  As a result, I was able to continue and became the only Team Leader who successfully completed 5 years as a Team Leader in Thuamul Rampur.  I’m happy to see that the programs initiated during my leadership continue to be sustained by communities, including: establishing the Residential tribal school named Gramvikas  Shikhsyaniketan in August, 1998; the Livelihood, Water & Sanitation Programme which has benefitted 100% of the households in the village; solar PV systems and biodiesel projects (biodiesel produced from un-utilized local seeds, in collaboration with a Canadian NGO named CTx Green); water pumping from dug wells to supply bathrooms in tribal villages; and, of course, the micro hydro initiatives.

More broadly, I benefited from maximizing the time I spent with community members, getting to know the reality on the ground, and I learned many new things from them.  I always tried to be a friend to community members, not a boss.  Acceptance by community members is one of the most important factors for getting work done.  Sharing knowledge and, in turn, learning from local knowledge is one of the most important tools.  Local peoples’ practical knowledge is more useful than any outsider’s knowledge. For this reason, I succeeded by empowering local people to become leaders who would be the real drivers of successful development programs.
“I succeeded by empowering local people to become leaders who would be the real drivers of successful development programs.”
Would you have recommendations for organizations to better support women team members?

First and foremost, a Team Leader or Executive Director must have confidence in women team members that they can do good work.  An attitudinal change is required. 


I overcame obstacles many thanks to my Assistant Director, Mrs. Anthiya Madiath, who motivated me in so many ways and helped me to build my capacity through training, exposure visits, critical meetings, and mentorship. Thanks to her support I decided to commit myself to the empowerment of tribal and marginalized communities work until the end of my life.  Training, exposure, and inclusion in decision-making are some key ways that organizations can build the capacity of women practitioners.

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Annual general meeting in September 2012 at GV head office, Mohuda in Ganjam District. Credit: Gram Vikas.
From your experience, how does gender relate to water management and community hydro?  And how can we encourage women’s full participation and leadership in these areas?

Women and water are inseparable. We cannot think of gender equity and water management separately.  In the context where I have lived and worked, it is women’s primary responsibility to get water for the household and it is women who do all work related to water, from agriculture to household labour.  If water is mis-utilized the first people who will suffer badly are women.  As a result, we’ve found that women are highly motivated to participate in water management initiatives. 
“Women and water are inseparable. We cannot think of gender equity and water management separately.”
​For example, we conducted a series of village meetings to motivate the community to participate in decision making and contribute labour for the community hydro project.  All community members agreed to the meeting but the next day we didn’t see any men at the worksite.  Only women community members were present and did the work.  When we asked about men, the women said they went to the bazaar or were playing cards in the village.  “They won’t work but we cannot sit idly because we are struggling to get water,” they would say.  “It is our responsibility to fetch water for the home.”  In the end, we noticed only a few men participated.  A similar situation repeated with the collection of funds for micro hydro maintenance.  So, to answer your question, I have not faced any difficulty motivating women to participate and take the lead; in my experience, this happened naturally.
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Tribal women return with firewood from the nearby forest in Maligaon village, Kalahandi district, Odisha. Credit: Gram Vikas / A. Behera.
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Village Electrification Committee meeting for micro hydro activities, Karlapat village in Kalahandi District. Credit: Gram Vikas.
When you look back at your career, what are you most proud of?

At the end of my 33-year career with Gram Vikas, when at times I feel that friends and acquaintances may have forgotten my contributions to the organization, I feel touched that the communities I engaged with haven’t forgotten me.  Whenever I feel down, very often my spirit is lifted when I receive a phone call from a community member saying, “Didi [meaning elder sister in Oriya], please come to visit our village”. 

​I feel proud of the many development initiatives that I initiated, which improved the livelihoods of tribal communities.  I am lucky that I had the opportunity to work with tribal communities in the remote interior through Gram Vikas, in inaccessible areas where development was once just a dream.  Initially, I thought it was impossible to work in such remote areas where you could not manage adequate food and mobility, but thanks to support from colleagues, training, exposure, etc., I could succeed.  
Overall, I am very thankful to Gram Vikas for a highly rewarding career.​

One of my proudest accomplishments came out of one of the most difficult struggles in my career.  In 1992, I was posted as Team Leader in Rudhapader project, in Ganjam district.  During my field visit I noticed that villagers were cultivating a small patch of brinjal in infertile land within the forest reserve; for this, every year, the forest guard and rangers took bribes from them.  I motivated the community to shift to cashew plantations instead of brinjal, which would result in a better return.  They agreed and implemented this successfully with financial support from Gram Vikas.  The next year, the forest rangers asked for bribes, but I encouraged the community not to pay any bribe to anyone.  When they didn’t pay, the rangers became angry.  They illegally arrested people and kept them in the Tarasing Rang police station.  When it came to my notice I rushed to the station and confronted them.  In the end, they released the community members, but 10 forest and criminal cases were filed in my name in 1992.  I had to regularly attend court from then until 2004.  That 12-year experience is one I will never forget, but at the end of my painful struggle I saw a remarkable outcome.

In total 20 families were living in the village.  From 1995/1996 onwards, each family was earning a minimum of 20,000 to 50,000 RP cash in a year from cashew sales (depending on land size).  Today, after a long fight, every family in the village has a land record in their name under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 (FRA). Now the village scenario has completely transformed.  Recently a family showed me their new marble house through a video call.  Often, they call and invite me to visit their village.  I feel very proud of what was accomplished in this village.
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Rudhapar area family receiving land records under the Forest Right Acts. Credit: Gram Vikas
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Tribal community members assembled for training on the Forest Rights Act in Koinpur village, Gajapati district, Odisha. Credit: Gram Vikas.

READ MORE: Forest Rights Act: Ensuring rights, access and control over forest rights and resources

Would you like to share any final thoughts for our readers?

Nothing is impossible.  Everything is possible with hard work, willingness and honesty. Your struggle today will give you happiness tomorrow that will last the rest of your life.


Finally, I’ll share a quote that I feel is 100% correct when looking back at my experiences: “Love your job but don’t love your company, because you may not know when your company stops loving you” -- Dr. Abdul Kalam, the former President of India. It reminds me that, as a woman leader, being committed to the upliftment of marginalized communities may mean displeasing some people in the process – but the end result, achieving my mission, is worth being steadfast.

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A quotation and photo of Urmila on display at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City, as part of an exhibit on a Women & Water Programme in which Urmila participated in Kyrgyzstan in 2013. Credit: Julia Collins.
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FIELD-BASED WORKSHOP IN KALINGA, PHILIPPINES

4/25/2022

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We recently launched the SEEED Accelerator to unlock the full potential of hydro mini-grid practitioners and communities.  The knowledge exchange aspect of the Accelerator incorporates E-Learning and impact-driven, customized capacity building to facilitate hydro mini-grid sustainability and optimal socio-economic benefits.  To this end, we launched the SEEED E-Learning series with support from Skat Foundation, DGRV, GIZ, and WISIONS.  So far we’ve hosted three virtual courses (with more to come) focused on community hydro fundamentals, climate resilient solutions, and agroecological benefits.  In conjunction with the virtual E-Learning courses, iwe recently supported local experts to conduct a field-based workshop in Sitio Gawaan Proper, Kalinga Province, Philippines.  ​
The workshop was designed to build the capacity of micro hydro communities to strengthen the long-term viability of their systems, while building resilience to the impacts of climate change and leveraging benefits at the nexus of water, energy, food, forests and livelihoods.  

Across the Philippines, communities are increasingly affected by stronger and more frequent typhoons and volatile weather due to climate change.  Micro hydro communities in Kalinga Province and elsewhere have seen their mini-grid infrastructure damaged by destructive storms and the reliability of their electricity source threatened by fluctuating stream flow.  The people of Kalinga Province are very keen to build climate resilient energy access through nature-based solutions, building upon long-proven Indigenous knowledge and governance systems.  As one participant noted, “our watersheds are truly connected to the life of the community hydro system, as we have seen and experienced before”.  

The workshops addressed the need for ecosystem restoration and strategies for building for climate resilience, while also building capacity to ensure long-term financial viability and agroecological benefits.  The approach of the workshop and connected E-Learning courses emphasized the need to develop integrative solutions addressing the water-energy-food-forests-livelihoods nexus.
Next Steps

Next steps include working with community leaders and appropriate local and regional experts to facilitate steps towards resolving challenges expressed by workshop participants, including:
  • Continue to unite against the development of mega dams repeatedly proposed to be built on indigneous territory but benefitting external populations
  • Demonstrate the viability of Indigenous-governed micro hydro against the sporadic and expensive central grid
  • Alleviate common pitfalls of community-scale hydropower by integrating methods for greater climate resilience and agroecological benefits.

​More broadly, the successful workshop in Kalinga has led us to reflect on possibilities for future HPNET workshops.  While E-Learning has enabled us to reach practitioners in over 40 countries this year, overcoming pandemic-related challenges, we were thrilled to also resume support for field-based capacity building with the workshop in Kalinga Province.  We see much potential for further hybrid formats going forward. 


Learn More

To learn more about community hydro in Kalinga, check out StreamSide Chats Edition 4, in which we take a virtual tour of the Balbalasang micro hydro project and discuss the Indigenous governance systems that support its success. 

You can also check out the SEEED E-Learning platform to explore course offerings and read more about the SEEED Approach.
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PARTNERSHIPS:  MEGHALAYA AND NAGALAND, INDIA

4/25/2022

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The Meghalaya Basin Development Authority (MBDA) in the northeastern Indian state of Meghalaya has launched a pico hydro program, which includes demonstration sites in 11 districtures and the electrification of 300+ communities.

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The Nagaland Empowerment of People through Energy Development (NEPeD), an HPNET member based in the state of Nagaland, also in northeast India, has thus far provided 51 NEPeD pico hydro hydrogers for the initiative.  NEPeD is also providing operation and maintenance capacity building for 102 village-based persons (2 persons from each village).  Each unit will generate up to 3 kW for lighting and small appliances.

Since being established in 2007, NEPeD has been designing and manufacturing pico and micro hydro hydrogers in Dimapur, Nagaland, along with providing all onsite services, including installation, training, and productive end use integration. You can read more about NEPeD’s approach in our member profile here.
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Map of Northeast India showing Meghalaya in brown and Nagaland in blue. Source: www.mapsofindia.com.
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KICK-OFF SESSION: CLIMATE RESILIENT SOLUTIONS TO HYDRO MINI-GRIDS

4/1/2022

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How can watershed stewardship enable climate resilient hydro mini-grids?  How can traditional ecological knowledge be leveraged for sustainable energy access?  

Building onto our Earth Voices series, which featured case studies of Indigenous communities who have developed resilient hydro mini-grids through watershed stewardship, we now go further to understand how rural energy systems can benefit from Indigenous values and methods for climate resilience.  We aim to do this by facilitating dialogue with Indigenous leaders and organizations seeking to integrate traditional knowledge and values into energy access solutions.

As a start, in the kick-off of our recent SEEED E-Learning course, “Climate Resilient Solutions to Hydro Mini-Grids”, we were privileged to be joined by Hon. Adrian Banie Lasimbang, Advisor for TONIBUNG and JOAS and Board Member for the Right Energy Partnership (REP) and HPNET.  Watch the recording for a deep dive discussion on climate resilience, the water-energy-food-forests-livelihoods nexus, and Indigenous rights, traditional knowledge and stewardship protocols.

The course was the second in our E-Learning series, offered as part of the SEEED Accelerator, with support from Skat Foundation, DGRV, GIZ, and WISIONS.
Learn More
  • To learn more about the ways in which Indigenous knowledge and environmental governance supports healthy watersheds and sustainable hydro mini-grids, check out our Earth Voices blog series. 
  • To stay in-the-know regarding future E-Learning opportunities, sign up for our newsletter.
  • To learn more about Right Energy Partnership, visit their website.
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E-LEARNING: CLIMATE RESILIENT SOLUTIONS + AGROECOLOGICAL BENEFITS OF HYDRO MINI-GRIDS

3/6/2022

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Beyond electricity access, community-scale hydro can have far-reaching socio-economic and ecological benefits. When managed with sustainability in mind, hydro mini-grids can support climate resilient watersheds, sustainable food production and thriving rural economies.  To support practitioners and communities to unlock these possibilities, we are offering two new E-learning courses:
  1. Climate Resilient Solutions to Hydro Mini-Grids (March 21-25, 2022)
  2. Agroecological Benefits of Hydro Mini-Grids (March 28-31, 2022)

Offered at no cost, each course consists of a live kick-off session followed by independent learning on our SEEED E-learning platform with a live Q&A session and peer-to-peer dialogue. Build your knowledge through interactive content, real-world examples and expert insight. The courses are aimed at community hydro practitioners who wish to leverage climate resilient solutions and agroecological benefits; however the content is also beneficial for those not well acquainted with hydro mini-grids, who wish to learn more about nature-based solutions for development. A technical background is not required. 

Register your interest for one or both courses no later than March 18, 2022 at the link below.
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REGISTER HERE
Curugmuncar Micro Hydro Village, Pekalongan Regency, Central Java, Indonesia.  Credit:  Asosiasi Hidro Bandung

A household rice mill powered by a hydro mini-grid in Shan State, Myanmar.  Credit:  D. Vaghela
Climate Resilient Solutions to Hydro ​Mini-Grids
​From March 21-25, 2022, we are pleased to offer a 5-day course on climate resilient solutions to hydro mini-grids. Sign up to learn how watershed management can build resilience to climate change and sustainable energy access in rural communities.

Key topics include:
  • Watersheds, climate adaptation and the water-energy-food nexus
  • Governance and environmental stewardship in Indigenous and local communities
  • Watershed management from baseline assessment to maintenance and monitoring
  • How to integrate watershed management with hydro mini-grid planning and implementation
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Estimated time commitment:
  • March 21 Kickoff Session: 1.5 hour (Optional)
  • March 25 Live Q&A and peer-to-peer dialogue: 1.5 hour (Optional)  
  • Self-work: 5-7 hours (Required)
Agroecological Benefits of Hydro Mini-Grids
​

The next course will take place from March 29-31, 2022 and will focus on agroecological benefits of hydro mini-grids.  Learn how community hydro electricity and watersheds can support sustainable food production and exchange ideas in an interactive 4-day course.

Key topics include the following, as they relate to hydro mini-grids:
  • Elements of agroecology
  • Water-energy-food nexus
  • Food forests as a regenerative solution
  • Agri-processing end uses of electricity
​
Estimated time commitment:
  • March 28 Kickoff Session: 1.5 hour (Optional)
  • March 31 Live Q&A and peer-to-peer dialogue: 1.5 hours (Optional)  
  • Self-work: 5-7 hours (Required)
​
SEEED E-Learning Series

The current course offerings are part of an E-learning series that we launched earlier this year, with support from Skat Foundation, DGRV, GIZ, and WISIONS.  Hosted on our all-new SEEED E-learning platform, the first course took place over 6 weeks, focusing on the fundamentals of community-scale (<1 MW) hydro mini-grids. 

The SEEED E-learning series is part of our Social Enterprise for Energy, Ecological and Economic Development (SEEED) Accelerator, an initiative to unlock the full potential of hydro mini-grid practitioners and communities in the Asia Pacific, Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa.  The SEEED Accelerator utilizes a 4-step strategy to generate impact from knowledge exchange and advocacy activities, as shown below. 
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The SEEED approach focuses on hydro mini-grid sustainability to enable climate resilience and community empowerment beyond kilowatts.  Alongside reliable technology, sustainable watersheds are a foundational element of SEEED – because without healthy forested watersheds, reliable electricity generation is not possible, nor is sustainable community empowerment. 

Sign up for our upcoming E-learning courses to learn more about the full social-environmental potential of hydro mini-grids and best practices for getting there! 
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INDONESIA:  STRATEGY MEETING TO REVITALIZE THE SECTOR

3/2/2022

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Indonesia's inspiring, 25-year micro/mini hydro sector has been challenged with policies that have stalled local manufacturers and developers from providing electricity both to the central and to last mile communities. 

Local practitioners, including members of the association Asosiasi Hidro Bandung (AHB), came together to strategize how best to convince the government to alleviate
policy, finance, and planning bottlenecks.  Established in 1998 and now having 180 members, AHB has been at the forefront of linking entrepreneurs, communities, and the government to continue scaling up small-scale hydropower in Indonesia.  

The meeting was held
in late February ​at the prestigious Hydropower Competence Centre (HYCOM) in Bandung, Indonesia, established in 2011 by Pt Entec Indonesia and the Indonesia TECD, with support from the Swiss Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Promotion in International Cooperation (REPIC), ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE), and GIZ.
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Indonesia’s senior local manufacturers and developers convened at HYCOM in February 2022 to strategize small-scale hydro advocacy. Credit: Pt Entec Indonesia.
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WATCH:  KICK-OFF SESSION FOR ECOURSE

2/7/2022

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We are off to a great start with our virtual training, Fundamentals of Community-Scale Hydro Mini-Grids!  

We began with a live Kick-off Session overviewing HPNET’s SEEED Initiative and introducing the course instructors, modules and e-learning platform. The Kick-off Session also featured insightful reflections on community hydro from our partners at Skat Foundation, WISIONS of Sustainability, the German Cooperative and Raiffeisen Confederation
 (DGRV) and Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.  

We’d like to extend a warm 'thank you’ to our partners, course instructors and participants for helping us kick-off the training on a high note.

You can watch the Kick-off Session recording below!
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